Up Against the Wall

About

Iraq Veterans Against the War—two projects that highlight the work of overlapping struggles working from opposite ends of an international movement for peace and justice. 

Exhibited together, these works ask what are the bonds and burdens of solidarity that tie those at the heart of American militarism to those under its heel? And what are the possibilities for collective liberation when movements unite for justice and demilitarization?

The two projects that make up this exhibition were developed with their own intentions. Imaging Apartheid was created to support the Palestinian struggle for liberation and the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement by highlighting the pressing issue of Israeli Apartheid. Celebrate People’s History: Iraq Veterans Against the War was made to uplift U.S. service members’ and veterans’ efforts to end the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, and demilitarize American society. Presented together, these projects connect the impacts of militarism on diverse communities and point towards a common struggle.

Imaging Apartheid

Imaging Apartheid is a Montreal/Toronto based initiative with global reach responding to the call for support of the B.D.S. campaign. The initiative aims to bring awareness and support to the Palestinian struggle for liberation through the production and dissemination of poster art.

The initiative is a small collective of artists and activists who strongly believe in the intersection of art and politics as a means of advancing social change. This project’s focus is on the pressing issue of Israeli Apartheid.

Designs are now being selected from submissions collected from around the world, which will be either silk-screen or offset printed. Imaging Apartheid initiative will produce these posters that give voice to the Palestinian struggle for freedom through a grassroots process, working with local screen printers and utilizing independent, activist distribution networks.

The call for submissions is open. There is no deadline. The initiative continues to produce new prints and make them available for the Palestinian solidarity movement worldwide. Prints can be used as a tool for awareness, outreach and/or documentation. All proceeds go to supporting the Imaging Apartheid initiative as it aims to create affordable prints that are widely disseminated.

Artists:
Jesse Purcell, Kevin Caplicki, Amer Shomali, Jason Kuhrt, Josh MacPhee, Jamaa Al-Yad Collective, Kevin Yuen Kit Lo, Freda Guttman, Eric Drooker

Celebrate People’s History: Iraq Veterans Against the War

Celebrate People’s History: Iraq Veterans Against the War—Ten Years of Fighting for Peace and Justice is a portfolio project celebrating Iraq Veterans Against the War’s (IVAW) ten year history. IVAW was founded in July 2004 to give voice to the large number of active duty service members and veterans who were against the war, but were under various pressures to remain silent. Over the past ten years, IVAW members have spoken out and taken action to end the wars they served in and to transform the society that fostered those wars.

The portfolio features contributions from IVAW members, Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative members, along with allied veterans, artists and writers. It highlights key ideas, moments, projects, tactics, and individuals from IVAW history in order to uplift IVAW’s ongoing struggle, inspire others to take action, and preserve the movement’s history for future generations.

This poster series is a joint project of Booklyn Artists Alliance, Civilian-Soldier Alliance, Justseeds Artist’ Cooperative, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Repetitive Press.